Automatic stoker fok coal stoves



Jan. 9, 1934. c STRANGE 1,942,947

AUTOMATIC STOKER FOR COAL STOVES Filed Sept. 1, 1952 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UN '5 D STATES PATET FFECE Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus designed to automatically feed coal to a stove and to shake the grate simultaneously with the feed of the fuel, and particularly to such apparatus as is adaptable to hot water heaters or laundry stoves.

The object of the invention is to provide an electrically actuated and controlled apparatus which is relatively cheap in construction, light in weight and portable, and which can be located in place of use by anyone without requiring the services of a mechanic, the structure being such that the magazine can be pushed to one side in case it is desired to use the stove for laundry purposes or should the apparatus get out of repair, or it can be easily removed and conveniently transported should the owner change residence. No special size of fuel is required, natural draft is employed, the amount of electric current consumed is slight, and the apparatus is quickly adjustable according to the required conditions, that is, as to the amount of coal to be fed and the quantity of ash to be shaken.

In attaining this object the magazine is movably mounted on a frame which may be clamped to the top of the stove to be stoked, in such manner that the magazine may be slid to a position in which it will deliver coal through the lid opening in the stove or pushed to one side when its use is not desired. An electric motor is arranged to cause the feeding of the coal from the magazine into the fire box and for shaking the grate, and a time switch is connected with the motor for causing the apparatus to function and actuate the coal feeder and the shaking of the grate at the predetermined periods according to the desired conditions of use.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawing shows a front elevation of a stoker which embodies the invention applied to the top of a laundry stove or water heater of common type.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical section of the stoker on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 on Fi 5.

Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the stoker on the stove.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the time switch and motor, and the circuit and mechanical connections between them.

The stove illusti ated has a fire drum 1 and ash box 2 mounted on the base 3 that is supported by legs 4. At the back of the fire drum is a smoke outlet 5 and in front of the ash box is the ash door 6. The top of the stove has a cover plate 7 with a lid opening 8 through which the coal is fed to the fire bed. The design of the stove is immaterial, that shown by way of example being a well known type.

A frame formed of rails 9, preferably made of angle iron, is fastened by a clamp 10 to the top of the stove. The extended end of this frame is desirably supported by legs 11 also made of angle iron.

Slidably mounted on the frame and preferably held in operative position by the clamp is the coal magazine 12. The bottom of the magazine is formed by two inclined plates 13 and 14 the latter being longer than the former and arranged to extend beneath an opening 15 between the lower edges of these bottom plates. Below the opening between the lower edges of the bottom plates of the magazine is a plate 16 supported by links 17 that are pivoted to the walls of the throat of the magazine. A shaft 18 is rotatably supported by brackets 19 fastened to the wall of the hopper throat. On this shaft is an eccentric 20 that is connected by a rod 21 with the plate 16.

An electric motor 22 is fastened to the under side of the bottom wall 13 of the hopper, and the armature shaft of this motor is by a belt 23 connected with a pulley 24 on the shaft 18. A time switch 25 of common type is fastened to one of the magazine supporting bars 26. The switching mechanism of this time switch is connected in a well known manner with the motor circuit so as to close and open the circuit at the desired periods. 0n the switch arbor 2'? is a pulley 28 which is connected by a belt 29 with a pulley 30 that has three steps of different diameters and is fastened to the shaft 18. When the shaft 18 is rotated by the motor the eccentric causes the plate 16 to swing back and forth and shake a supply of coal therefrom to the fire bed. A chute 31 may be fastened in the hopper throat so as to direct the coal to the lid opening in the top of the stove. After the desired amount of coal has been fed the rotation of the shaft, through the pulley 30, belt 29 and pulley 2S rewinds the time mechanism and resets the switch.

On the end of the shaft 18 is a crank 32. This crank is connected by a link 33 with one end of an angle lever 34. The other end of this angle lever is connected by a rod 35 with the shaker bar 36 of the grate which is below the fire bed. The angle lever is pivotally mounted on a brace 3-8 that extends from one of the rails 9 to one of the legs 11. The lower end of this angle lever is provided with holes 39 to permit the end of the rod 35 to be connected at different distances from the axis of the lever and thus provide an adjustment for the throw of the grate.

In case it is desired to use the stove without the stoker the clamp may be loosened and the magazine slid along the supporting rails away from the top of the stove. The time switch may be set to energize the motor and cause the actuation of the feed plate and grate at any specified times, that is, every hour or two, or once a day as required. The switch is rewound and reset according to the conditions desired. When the switch belt is around the larger diameter of the pulley 30 a relatively small amount of coal is fed, for the current is turned off and the switch reset quickly. By adjusting the belt to the next smaller step the running time and resetting of the switch is lengthened so that the amount of coal shaken into the fire will be increased. With the belt on the smallest step a larger amount of coal will be fed. By changing the adjustment of the grate connection the agitation of the grate may be changed to meet the condition. Should the owner of the stoker change residence, or wish to discard the stoker, it is merely necessary to unclamp the stoker from the top of the stove and remove it, and the parts being small and light can be easily lifted off and transported to the new place of use. The apparatus herein described is particularly adaptable to laundry stoves or hot water heaters of the so called bucket-a-day type.

The invention claimed is:

1. A stoker comprising a supporting frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to a stove, a magazine having an opening through its bottom, mounted on and capable of being slid along the frame toward and from the fuel opening in the stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, means for oscillating said plate, an electric motor and connections between the motor and plate oscillating means for actuating said means, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

2. A stoker comprising a supporting frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to a stove, a magazine having an opening through its bottom, mounted on and capable of being slid along the frame toward and from the fuel opening in the stove, a plate pivotally supported below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, eccentric means connected with said plate, an electric motor and connections between the motor and the eccentric means for rotating said eccentric means, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing the motor circuit.

3. A stoker comprising a supporting frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to a stove, a magazine having a tapering bottom with an opening therethrough, mounted on and capable of being slid along the frame toward and from the fuel opening in the stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft and operatively connected with said plate, an electric motor and connections between the motor and shaft for rotating said shaft, a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing the motor circuit, and a connection between the shaft and the switch for opening said switch.

4. A stoker comprising a supporting frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to a stove, a magazine having a tapering bottom with an opening therethrough, mounted on and capable of being slid along the frame toward and from the fuel opening in the stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft and operatively connected with said plate, an electric motor and connections between the motor and shaft for rotating said shaft, a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing the motor circuit, a connection between the shaft and the switch for opening said switch, a crank on said shaft, and connections from said crank adapted to be joined to the stove grate.

5. A stoker comprising a magazine adapted to be attached to a stove, said magazine having a fuel dis harge opening through its bottom designed to register with the fuel opening of a stove, feed means located below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, an electric motor and connections between the motor and feed means for actuating said feed means, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

6. A stoker comprising a supporting frame adapted to be attached to a stove, a magazine having a fuel discharge opening through its bottom adapted to register with the fuel receiving opening of a stove mounted on the frame, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, an electric motor and connections with the motor and plate for oscillating said plate, and an automatic switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

7. A stoker comprising a supporting frame adapted to be attached to a stove, a magazine having an opening through its bottom, mounted on the frame, with said opening adapted to be brought into communication with the fuel opening in a stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, an electric motor and connections between the motor and plate for oscillating said plate, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

8. A stoker comprising a supporting frame adapted to be attached to a stove, a magazine having an opening through its bottom, mounted on the frame, with said opening adapted to be brought into communication with the fuel opening in a stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, an electric motor and connections between the motor and plate for oscillating said plate, a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit, and means actuated by the motor, said means adapted to be joined to the stove grate to actuate the same.

9. A stoker comprising a supporting frame, means for detachably clamping the frame to a stove, a magazine having a tapering bottom with an opening therethrough, mounted on the frame, with said opening adapted to be brought into communication with the fuel opening in a stove, a plate movable below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, means for oscillating said plate, an electric motor and connections between the motor and plate oscillating means for actuating said means, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

10. A stoker comprising a supporting frame adapted to be attached to a stove, a magazine hav-- ing an opening through its bottom, mounted on the frame, with said opening adapted to be brought into communication with the fuel opening in a stove, feed means located below the opening in the bottom of the magazine, an electric motor and connections between the motor and said means for actuating said feed means, and a time switch connected in the motor circuit for periodically closing and opening the motor circuit.

CHARLES H. STRANGE. 

